January 12, 2021

Anna Murray 

An independent panel for the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) has released on January 19 a 34-page report on global actions toward the COVID-19 pandemic. It marked as the 2nd progress report investigated from the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response for the WHO Executive Board. The report represented work of over 3 months by the Panel after the 1st meeting on September 17, 2020.

The Panel’s report constituted of case studies, hundreds of document reviews, expert consultations across many sectors, submissions received by the Panel from academia, civil societies, citizens, and the Member States. The Panel, co-chaired by the former prime minister of New Zealand Helen Clark and former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, also held nearly 100 interviews with those at the frontlines of pandemic preparedness and response.

The Panel questioned the WHO emergency committee why they did not declare a public health emergency of international concern in such a pandemic crisis at its 1st meeting on January 22, 2020. In addition, the Panel pointed out that the response and the public health measures from China's local and national health authorities should have been imposed more forcefully in January of 2020.

The 1st progress report was presented to the 73rd World Health Assembly on November 5, 2020. Following this 2nd progress report, the Panel will present along with conclusions and recommendations to the 74th World Health Assembly to be held in the coming May of 2021.

Photo:Webshot.